Baseball preview
Predictions, pivotal players and breakout stars for each league
Pivotal players
uChris Sale, Red Sox: If Boston is to play deep into October, it badly needs Sale to be the same pitcher who dominated the AL Central with the Chicago White Sox. With David Price opening on the disabled list, a fast start in a deep division is paramount for Sale. uLance McCullers, Astros: A lineup reboot makes them the pick of many to win the AL West. But the best way to unseat the Rangers is to outpitch them. If McCullers’ potential and health finally converge, the Astros might run away with the division. uCarlos Carrasco, Indians: The defending AL champs are stacked, but their rotation needs a healthy No. 2 behind ace Corey Kluber. Elbow issues this spring seem to be minor, but he has never thrown more than 185 innings in the majors. uJose Bautista, Blue Jays: A bounce-back season from Bautista at 36 would go a long way toward keeping the Blue Jays offense formidable in the absence of Edwin Encarnacion and toward helping Bautista earn back some of the money he missed out on by hitting the open market after an unsteady 2016.
Ready to pop
uByron Buxton, Twins: No, he won’t be known as BUST-on. A huge final month that included nine homers, 22 RBI and a 1.011 on-base plus slugging percentage in 29 games finally validated all the rave reviews the Minnesota Twins outfielder earned from scouts. It turns out that all Buxton needed to do was relax and play his game. uSean Manaea, Athletics: The key return in the Ben Zobrist trade, Manaea, 25, flashed significant potential over 24 starts in his debut. Entrenched as the A’s No. 2 starter, he might not match a minor league strikeout rate that exceeded 10 over nine innings, but he could come close. uAndrew Benintendi, Red Sox: Their opening-day left fielder after 34 games played in the big leagues, he’s already being mentioned in the same breath as Hall of Famers Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice, who manned the position before him.
He’s the consensus pick to be the AL rookie of the year.
uAlex Bregman, Astros: He has proven power — 28 home runs in 2016, including eight in a 49-game major league debut — and will flourish in a lineup that includes Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve. uGreg Bird, Yankees: Imagine a prospect on baseball’s most popular team getting a secondhalf call-up and mashing a bunch of home runs in a limited number of at-bats. Gary Sanchez last season? Sure, but Bird did the same thing in 2015. After missing all of last season with a shoulder injury, he’ll be the Yankees’ everyday first baseman. Among the spring leaders in homers, he’ll get a full season to take aim at Yankee Stadium’s short right-field porch.
Fluid forecast
uAthletics: It’s perhaps Billy Beane’s most volatile collection yet — a young, platoon-heavy group that could lose 90 games or finish above .500. The playoffs are unlikely, but they might determine who wins the West.
uYankees: They had a fabulous spring, and their kiddie corps has New Yorkers excited. But does an aging pitching staff steady the ship toward contention or mediocrity in a balanced division?
uOrioles: They never seem to have enough starting pitching but keep finding ways to reach the playoffs.
uMariners: They always stay busy — shortstop Jean Segura and outfielder Jarrod Dyson are the most notable additions for easily bored general manager Jerry Dipoto, who turned over half the roster — but figuring out how well it all comes together remains a challenge. How will the newcomers fit around stalwarts Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, Kyle Seager and Felix Hernandez? Will it be enough to end baseball’s longest postseason drought? No one has a clue. But it’ll be fun to find out. uRangers: Coming off two consecutive division titles, there’s plenty of talent to chase a third but lots of uncertainty in the rotation and a host of veteran position players who will need to stave off the affects of time to avoid a stumble.
Five bold predictions
uDanny Duffy, Royals: Will win the Cy Young Award. uMookie Betts: Hits 40 homers but still misses out on the MVP to Mike Trout. uA’s and Rays: Make Moneyball- style tightfisted ways look good again. uTigers: Will take the Indians down to the wire in the Central. uRed Sox: Will win the pennant.